Page 66 of Unravel You

“Got it.” Bridget stalked over to me. “You guys make a cute couple.” She showed me the picture she’d just taken of Alex slobbering all over me.

My face showed how repugnant I found him.Please don’t send it to Derek.If I knew they’d take pity on me, I would have begged. Derek would never think that picture was real, but it would cut him just the same.

Derek, I’m sorry.

If he didn’t hate me for getting involved with someone like Alex by now, maybe this would finally do the trick. I’d hated myself over it for years, until I met Derek and he showed me I deserved a second chance, that Max and I deserved a home.

“Where’s Max?”

Both Bridget and Alex tittered, as if I’d made some joke. “You really haven’t figured it out yet?” she asked.

“I told you it would work.” Alex beamed proudly at Bridget.

I should’ve known Bridget would be behind Alex’s note. She’d used him before to put all kinds of crazy ideas in Derek’s head, ideas that’d painted me as a gold digger. Now here he was again, playing her little minion.

“He’s not here.” Tears streamed down my face in relief. They didn’t have Max. He was safe. I pushed off the wall and stomped toward the door. “You two make me sick. Keep the money.”

Alex gripped my hair again and rammed me against a car. “Get in.”

“You have your five thousand dollars. Let me go.”

Bridget’s cold laugh echoed in the warehouse. “You think five thousand dollars is enough? Derek has truckloads of cash just laying around. If he wants you back, he’ll have to pay up. Real cash this time, not the meager millions he tossed my way after the divorce. If he doesn’t, this will be your consolation prize.” She shoved the picture in my face. I looked away in disgust.

“Let’s go. We’ve wasted enough time. By now, I’m sure Derek is turning the Cole Estate upside down looking for you.” She opened the car door and gestured for me to go in.

Shit. Their entire plan had been to getme, not Max. And I’d been stupid enough to fall for it. Bridget climbed in next to me, while Alex sat at the wheel. He drove off into the dark alley, away from all the people partying on the other side of the warehouse, and away from Anabelle’s driver.

“Your phone.” Bridget put out her hand, wiggling her fingers at me. When I blinked at her, she laughed. A cold laugh that I’d hoped I’d never hear again. “Awww…did you think we were going to let you keep it so your driver could come find you?” She gave me a fake frown.

I glanced at my phone and quickly dialed 911. Before I could press Send, Bridget pressed a handgun to my temple. All the blood rushed to my feet, leaving my hands numb.

“Turn it off.”

I did as she asked.

“Toss it out the window.”

I did that too.

Chapter18

She's with Him

Derek

“Mr. Cole, we found the guard.” The head of security gave me a quick nod.

“Where was he?”

“In the gardens, near the Copenhaver property line. He was knocked out.”

“Is he okay?”

“He’s still unconscious, sir.”

“Do we have a breach?” How could we even know with so many people prancing around the gardens and the house?

“We’ll know more when he wakes up.” The guard shook his head, half apologizing, half answering my question.

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